Chelsea Kiehler and Ava Stewart-Wein, Retirement Planning Center (RPC Financial Wellness), on Employee Financial Wellness Programs and Closing the Retirement Gap (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 942)
On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Chelsea Kiehler, founder of RPC Financial Wellness, and Ava Stewart-Wein, Manager of Client Development, to talk about what employee financial wellness actually means and why it goes far deeper than account balances and investment choices.
Chelsea built RPC Financial Wellness after spotting a persistent gap in workplace retirement programs: employees either were not enrolled at all or were getting materials so jargon-heavy and market-focused that they tuned out. Chelsea devised a comprehensive program that encompasses budgeting, credit card debt, social security, Medicare, long-term care, and effective communication about money with spouses, children, and aging parents. RPC does not sell financial products. It earns its revenue through education and coaching, then connects employees who need product help to a vetted network of fiduciary advisors.
One story from the conversation effectively illustrates their vital work: a company dealing with a non-qualified pension dissolution sought assistance from RPC to help employees comprehend the tax implications and financial decisions that unexpectedly came their way. RPC coordinated individually with fiduciary advisors to walk each affected employee through their options, turning what could have been a workplace crisis into a managed transition the HR team was grateful for.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
- Financial stress affects all aspects of personal well-being: employees experiencing financial stress are three times more likely to face mental health issues, their healthcare costs are nearly 50% higher, and finances are the primary source of conflict for one in three couples.
- A high salary does not equal employee financial wellness. Chelsea described sitting across from a CFO earning a million dollars a year with a negative net worth, while in the same county, a farmer and a teacher earning under $100,000 combined were financially free.
- RPC Financial Wellness is fee-for-education rather than product-driven, so employees can engage coaches and access vetted fiduciary advisors without anyone on the RPC side having a financial stake in the outcome.
- Companies can measure RPC’s impact through concrete metrics: reductions in absenteeism, turnover, and healthcare costs, all of which correlate directly with employee financial stress.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guests Chelsea Kiehler and Ava Stewart-Wein
02:15 What employee financial wellness means and why it touches every area of life
03:45 Chelsea Kiehler’s backstory and how she designed the RPC program
05:03 Ava Stewart-Wein’s 20-plus years in financial services and her passion for accessibility
06:16 The two gaps in workplace 401k programs: enrollment and engagement
07:36 How RPC breaks financial topics into accessible, everyday-life content
09:38 The statistic: 60% of employees earning over $100,000 report financial stress affecting their productivity
10:28 The paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and the lifestyle overspend problem
14:05 How RPC makes money: education and coaching fees, not product sales
15:57 How fiduciary advisors are vetted and admitted to the RPC trusted network
16:56 What happens when an employee reaches out to RPC for help
18:51 Confidentiality: what information is and is not shared back to employers
20:11 The full scope of financial wellness topics covered, including insurance and benefits
21:20 How companies engage RPC and what that looks like for employees
23:02 Why RPC was designed to serve both coaching-only needs and product execution
26:14 Symptoms that signal a company needs financial wellness support
27:02 Case study: navigating a non-qualified pension dissolution for a company in crisis
29:23 Company feedback and measuring program success
30:32 How to reach Chelsea Kiehler and Ava Stewart-Wein
Chelsea Kiehler
Chelsea Kiehler is the founder and architect of RPC Financial Wellness. She began her career as a financial advisor working with ultra-high-net-worth clients before moving into institutional 401k work, where she identified a persistent gap: employees who most needed financial guidance were not being reached by existing programs. She spent nine months designing a comprehensive financial wellness platform that covers the full spectrum from first paycheck to retirement, built around education-first coaching rather than product sales.
Ava Stewart-Wein, Manager of Client Development
Ava Stewart-Wein is Manager of Client Development at RPC Financial Wellness. She brings more than 20 years of experience helping individuals build pathways to their financial goals and believes that financial wellness is accessible to people at every income level and every stage of life. Her focus is on removing the intimidation from financial planning and replacing it with practical education, trusted resources, and a clear sense that financial goals are reachable.
Retirement Planning Center (RPC Financial Wellness)
RPC Financial Wellness offers employer-sponsored financial wellness programs designed to serve employees across every stage of their financial lives. The program leads with education and coaching covering budgeting, debt, retirement planning, insurance, benefits navigation, and family financial conversations, then connects employees who need product help to a vetted network of fiduciary advisors. RPC does not sell financial products; coaches and advisors operate independently, and employee engagement is kept fully confidential from employers. Employers utilize RPC as a benefit for their employees, and it is accessible across the country.
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
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Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.
